Collaborative Research: Magmatic Chronology, Processes, and Composition of the Bingham Porphyry Cu-Au-Mo System, Utah

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9725559 Deino As a result of over 100 years of mining, drilling, and exploration, the Bingham porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum deposit in Utah is the most well-exposed porphyry copper deposit in the world, in addition to being the largest in North America. Our recent work at Bingham has demonstrated that unusual primitive alkaline magma (minette) was intermixed with more normal latitic magma at the approximate time of ore formation. The minette magma is among the most copper- and sulfur-rich magmas of this age in western North America and may have contributed metals and sulfur to this world-class deposit. We will develop a new model for formation of Bingham-type ore deposits that accounts for the role of magmatic sulfides and primitive alkaline magma in ore formation. The resulting model could be used to better understand and explore for porphyry copper deposits in the United States and throughout the world in order to develop adequate supplies of this strategic metal. To accomplish these goals, geologic mapping, sampling, and whole-rock analysis, by a wide variety of methods, will be used to characterize each volcanic and intrusive lithology. Analysis of minerals erupted from this system will be done to determine the temperature, pressure, and volatile fugacities of ore-related magmas. Isotopic analysis of minerals will be used to determine the age and origin of ore-related magmas and possible ore-forming processes.